Dan's Outside

WhiteLupineFlower

White lupine flower. May 10, 2003
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on WhiteLupineFlower

WhiteLupineQuicksilverMay2003

White lupine on the Castillero trail near the ridgetop mine at Almaden Quicksilver Park. May 11, 2003
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on WhiteLupineQuicksilverMay2003

2003.05.11

&***I discovered this patch of white lupine
last year near the ridge-top mine on the Castillero trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park. Although this flower grows in many places, this is one of the best displays I’ve seen.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003.05.11

2003 December

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***12/15
– After a ;dry period” of about two weeks due to final exams and other college business, I got away for a one-day cross-country trip at Royal Gorge.

***12/19
– Almaden Quicksilver, up and down English Camp trail. Was able to travel off-trail several times due to the winter die-back of vegetation.

***12/22
– Solstice hike at Almaden Quicksilver. Out on Randol, up Prospect #3, back on Mine Hill, Castillero, and Gulch.

***12/27
– Nice long hike at Almaden Quicksilver. All the way out to the reservoir on the low route (Randol, etc.) and then back via the ridge, including a bit of off-trail hiking.

***12/31
– One-day cross-country ski trip to Royal Gorge. Great way to end an outdoors year!

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 December

2003 November

***11/2
– First cool-weather hike of the season. It probably didn’t get much above 50 degrees as I hiked up Mine Hill Trail and then back down via English Camp.

***11/8
– First rain hike of the season – though it was more of a drizzle than actual rain. Out on Randol, up Prospect #3 then return via Mine Hill, Castillero, and English Camp.

***11/15
– A nice rainy hike at Almaden Quicksilver – up Mine Hill and down English Camp trail.

***11/22
– Cold morning hike at Almaden Quicksilver, the coldest so far this fall. Out on Randol, up Prospect #3, return via Mine Hill, Castillero, English Camp, with the shortcut route on the descent.

***11/29
– Last hike of the month, no doubt. It was a cloudy, slightly drippy day. I hiked up over Capehorn Pass and onto Randol, but soon decided to take the single-track lateral to the left that I have always passed up before. It ascended to the Mine Hill trail near the English Camp lateral and I continued on to the ridge. From there I headed back on Castillero, adding the lateral to the new parking lot on Hicks Road for the first time before returning to the ridge and then descending to the parking lot.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 November

2003 October

***10/5
– First hike of October today. Went to Almaden Quicksilver with my brother, who is down on business from Woodinville. We hiked up the Mine Hill Trail.

***10/10-10/12
– Final pack trip (most likely) of the season with Owen and his sister Shelley. As per our tradition we went to Fletcher Lake. On the first day I drove to Tuolumne and hit the trail at nearly 6:00 pm, hiking to Fletcher Lake mostly after dark – arriving there around 10:30 pm. On the second day we climbed Vogelsang Peak and visited Vogelsang Pass. On day 3 we hiked back down to Tuolumne Meadows and hit the Tioga Pass Resort for late lunch – hours before they closed for the season.

***10/19
– Nice fall hike at Almaden Quicksilver Park today – it was warm on the south side above New Almaden and then cooler and windy near the ridge and on the way back down. Went up English Camp trail and Castillero trail to Catherine Tunnel, then back down via Mine Hill Trail.

***10/25
– The usual short hike at Almaden Quicksilver – up English Camp and Castellero and down Mine Hill. It was hot today!

***10/26
– Hiked again at Almaden Quicksilver – even though I was there yesterday. This time hiked very fast out Randol and up Prospect #3, trying to stay ahead of 3 people on horseback. (Managed to do so until just before the top of Prospect #3 where I had to cut cross-country to stay ahead.) Then up the ridge and across Castillero past English Camp to take the shortcut back to the parking lot.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 October

2003 September

9/1 –  Started the new
month with a semi-urban bike ride to Los Gatos and Saratoga and back
via the route I take from De Anza. 25 miles. 1:45.

9/5 – Day 1 of a short pack
trip out of Tuolumne Meadows. Hiked from the permit station via
Rafferty Creek trail to Fletcher Lake. 7.? miles and about 3:30 of
hiking.

9/6 – Day 2. Hiked 7.5-8 miles
cross-country. From Fletcher Lake, ascended ridge above Townsley Lake,
crossed plateau to cross ridge at 11,000 to Ireland Lake. From Ireland
Lake ascended valley at base of Mt. Amelia Earhart to reach ridge below
(east) of Parsons Peak.

9/7 – Day 3. Hiked back down Rafferty Creek trail to Tuolumne.

9/12 – Quick day hike up Mines Trail and down English Camp Trail at Almaden Quicksilver.

9/13 – Brandon and I hiked up to Fletcher Lake to camp overnight.

9/14 – Today we hiked
cross-country over the 11,000′ ridge to near Ireland Lake, then
descended on trails to Lyell Canyon, exiting at Tuolumne Meadows after
a hike of about 11.5 miles.

9/28 – After not doing anything
outdoors since returning from Yosemite 2 weeks ago (school started) I
finally got out for a day hike today at Almaden Quicksilver park. It
was cool, hazy, and breezy – definitely not summer anymore – as I hiked
up Mine Hill and then down the alternate to the English Camp trail. 6+
miles.

September Summary – Not a bad
hiking month, with two short but fun trips to the Fletcher Lake area.
The first one included a very cool full-day cross-country hike to a
remote ridge behind Ireland Lake; the second was a chance to backpack
with my oldest son. Unfortunately things got a bit too busy near the
end of the month with the start of school and my new role as senate
president – not enough sleep and not enough hiking!
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 September

2003 August

&t

***8/2
– Drove to Mosquito Flat trailhead for a quick dinner before starting up the trail at 7:45 pm to camp at Mack Lake, just inside the wilderness area boundary. Barely 1/4 mile.

***8/3
– Climbed from Mack Lake over 12,000′ Mono Pass and descended to Trail Lakes to camp.

***8/4
– Descended from Trail Lakes to Golden Creek and then ascended into Pioneer Basin, camping at “Third Lake,” the largest of the lakes in the basin.

***8/5
– Day-hiked up to the ridge at the end of Pioneer Basin (app. 12,000′) to overlook peaks and valleys to the north. Wandered back down through the basin, passing most of the lakes on the way.

***8/6
– Short hike began with descent from Pioneer Basin and then short lateral to Fourth Recess Lake.

***8/7
– 2000′ climb from Fourth Recess Lake to Mono Pass and then descend to Mosquito Flat trailhead.

***8/11
– Tested out the altitude-adapted lungs at sea-level by climbing the English Camp trail at Almaden Quicksilver.

***8/14
– Very fast hike up and down the Mine Hill trail – to within 1 minute of the top where I had to turn around because I ran out of time!

***8/16
– Up Mine Hill Trail then Randol to Prospect #3 to the ridge; back via English Camp.

***8/22
– Started at the usual place, Hacienda trailhead in New Almaden. Left the main trail at the first bend, following a use trail up a creek until it ended. A short cross-country section through trees brought me to a newly-graded trail that joined the English Camp trail just before English Camp. Headed up to the ridge and then returned via Mine Hill trail.

***8/28
– Up and down the Mine Hill trail, with stops for photos of the first autumn leaves.

***8/30
– 24-mile bike ride down Almaden expressway, including about 2 miles of off-road riding. 1:55

***8/31
– End-of-August hike at Almaden Quicksilver. The usual “long loop” out Randol to near the reservoir, then back on Mine Hill trail and English Camp – this time with a variation by taking the fork to the right below English Camp. 10.5-11 miles.

***August Summary
– Started the month with a great pack trip over Mono Pass into Pioneer Basin. During the rest of the month I mostly did day hikes at Almaden Quicksilver, although I did manage to get on my bike a bit as well.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 August

2003 July

***7/5
– First hike in a week. At Almaden Quicksilver Park I met some hikers from the Orinda Hiking Club and we talked a bit about the various trails and other features at the park. Approx. 7.5 miles.

***7/6
– 8 mile urban hike on the Los Gatos Creek trail.

***7/8
– Quick 6.2 miles up and down Mine Hill Trail to Bull Run.

***7/9
– Quick 5.5-6 mile urban hike on LG Creek trail.

***7/13
– Quick 4.5-mile urban hike on LG Creek trail.

***7/18
– Departed for Seattle to start the Della Falls trip.

***7/20
– Canoed 22 miles from Ark Resort on Vancouver Island to the upper end of the lake and the start of the Della Falls trail.

***7/21
– Backpacked approximately 10 miles to the base of Della Falls.

***7/22
– Basically a backpacking layover day, with only a short hike to the base of the falls.

***7/23
– Day hike from Della Falls to Love Lake. Climbed nearly 2000′ in about 2-3 miles.

***7/24
– Backpacked 10 miles back from Della Falls to the Great Central Lake.

***7/25
– Canoed 22 miles back to Ark Resort to end the trip.

***July Summary
Got in a few hikes near the beginning of the month and then a lot of urban hikes later on in preparation for two upcoming trips: Della Falls and Sierra backpacking. Della Falls trip included about 44 mile roundtrip in a canoe and about 10 miles out and back hiking to the backpack campsite, plus a short day hike to Love Lake.

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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 July

2003 June

***6/1
– Did the loop from Mockingbird Hill entrance at Almaden Quicksilver. Out on the Almaden trail and then to the Ridge via Prospect #3; along the ridge to English Camp and then down the Mines Trail to the junction with Hacienda trail and back to the start.

***6/7
– The Big Loop from Hacienda via Randol to near Guadalupe Reservoir, and then back via Mines Trail and English Camp.

***6/8
– 30-mile bike ride around the Calero loop.

***6/14
– The middle loop at Quicksilver Park this morning – started early! Out to Prospect #3 and up to the ridge, then back down via English Camp.

***6/15
– Waterfall Day in Yosemite. Visited Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point.

***6/21
– The “middle loop” at Almaden Quicksilver – Out on Randol, up Prospect #3, and then back via Castillero and Mines trails. The poison oak is really growing right now, and encroaching on Prospect #3 in spots.

***6/22
– Hey, a bike ride! Went down Almaden to New Almaden and then up the QM trail about .3 miles before turning around. 23 miles.

***6/29
– The long Almaden Quicksilver loop – out on the low-level Randol trail and back via Mines Trail and English Camp. About 11 miles.
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May 11, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2003 June